Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-11-03


men have bsen reduced IS per cent
during the past FIVE years.
But the holloW-ware m0ulders are
not the only men suffering from dis
astrous competition with convict labor,
which costs IRON thirty-6ve to seventy
FIVE cents per day.
There IS now a cooper shop IN the
Ohio Penitentiary, and in 1886 it pro-
duced $4,000 worth OF pork barrels.
Some idea OF the terrible effects OF
competition with convict labor in this
industry can be formed from the last
report OF the National Bureau Of Labor
Statistics.
Statistics have been gathered cover
ing the period from 1875 to 1885 and the
results are decidedly startling. They
show that in 1873 convicts in Joliet
Pententiary manufactured 20T,46
pieces of tight cooperage; and this
number incr ,ased steadily until 1885,
when it was 74j,26l, and during the
same per.o the product OF the free
shops in Chicago making tight work
was l2O, u pieces in 1879 and l57.Ni2
in 1885, which is a very slight increase.
The Bureau fin s that during these
eleven we lrs the in lustry outside prison
walls has shown no material in reslse.
I'm bret, says the com missioner,
'the cOntr rfors business has rnerea5, ,d
$50 per cent during eleven wears. while
the inc AS in private establishments
was not over 81 per cent.
"lnstea Of Increasing as it should,
stimula e by the imm .nse meat-pack-
ing ira le in Chicago, the industry out
side prison walls is feebler now than it
was eleven years ago.
"But the proprietor has not been the
only nor thh greatest sufferer in this
struggle under the natural and ineyit-
able operation OF the contract system;
prices have continually declined, and
the citizen in his lruitless efforts to COM
pete with the contractor, has visited
every reduction in price upon the Jour
neyman cooper in the form of a reduc-
ton in wages.
THE cons 'quence has been, as is fire.
quentIy stated, that Chicago coopers
have often been able to earn more upon
the streets at any kind OF unskilled labor
than at the trade they have spent years
to acquire"
The commissioner follows this state
ment with positive proof in the shape of
tables. The first table gives the aver
age wages OF coopers engaged in tight
work and the decline was as follows:
In 1875 the average wages received
was S6l3, 1876 $6ll, 1877 S599, 1878
S517, 1879 $50, 1880 545, 1881 1928, 1882
S5l0, 1888 S4Sl, 1884 $445, and 1885 1882,
decline OF 30.per cent in eleven wears;
and to prove beyond doubt that this
rulnous decline is the result of compe.
tition with the prison shop, the commits
sloner gives table showing the wages
paid coopers during the same period Tor
work that did moi compete with the
prison shops, being loose work. The
decline in these shops during the very
same period was less than I per cent,
and today it is found that the average
wages OF tlght-work coopers in Chicago
is S432, while the wages of coopers not
injured by prison competition are 1923.
In l715 the wages OF both classes OF
Coopers were the same, showing plainly
| the disastrous results OF convict contract
labor.
But there are other industries affected
by the convict labor in the Ohio Peni-
|
made by convict labor there was $685.
600, while the United States Commits
sioner OF Labor states that the value of
shoes produced in all the penitentiaries
during that period was over ten, million
dollars.
In the report ofthe Bureau of Labor
Statistics of Massachusetts,, for 1856
the following is found: at is suscep.
tlble OF positive proof that from the
manufacture OF boots and shoes in
Western prisons the wages OF some OF
the operatives in Massachusetts have
been reduced 10 per cent"
Now if prison-made shoes in the West
reduce the wages of operatives in the
East 10 per cent, how must it affect
the operatives in the West2 The en-
ployes OF shoe factories, whose wages
have been reduced from 20 to p per
cent during the past FIVE years, should
look about for the cause, and when they
do, it will be traced to the convict con-
tract labor Wh,ch Gorernor Foraker Is de-
termtned shall erist In the Ohio penitentiary
u, rioldtion Of law.
There are men employed in other in
dustries affected by this convict con-
tract labor, for they make harness and
saddlery, hardware, stoves, carriage
goods etc., in the Ohio Penitentiary.
What the laboring men OF this State
must do is rise above the plane OF par
tisau pol tics and vote for the party
that is endeavor.ng to ameliorate their
condition.
Vote for yourself, your home and
your family, and 10 it by voting against
convict contract labor!
The evils OF the system can be over
come in Ohio. rs they have been in
New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Cali
forna, Pennsylvania and other states
The laEoring men must demand a re-
lease from this burden, for under the
present management it is apparent to
any one that the laboring classes are
contributing the money required to run
the Ohio Penitentlary. 1t is wrested
from their pockets by reduction in
wages, the direct result OF the perni-
cious contract system. In view OF these
facts, will the workingmen OF Ohio vote
to continue the Republican party in